Electric socket adapter with fuse plug



Oct. 9, 1962 c. v. TODORAN 3,057,981

ELECTRIC SOCKET ADAPTER WITH FUSE PLUG Filed March 23, 1961 INVENTOR. VCiwbrl/es VTovlora/w ATTORNEYS United States Patent @ce 3,057,981ELECTRIC SOUQET ADAPTER WITH FUSE PLUG Charles V. Todoran, 721 HarmonSt, North Canton, Ohio Filed Mar. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 97,802 1 (Ilaim.(Cl. Mill-115.5)

The invention relates to electric socket adapters, and more particularlyto a socket adapter having a safety device therein.

Socket adapters such as are now in general use are adapted to be pluggedinto a conventional Wall socket and are provided with a plurality ofsockets to receive the contact pins of connector plugs on the feed wiresor cords of electric appliances such as lamps, fans, percolators,toasters, Christmas tree lights, and various other appliances, or powertools.

Defective wiring in any appliance plugged into such a socket adapterfrequently results in fires, often causing serious damage in the home orother building in which the circuit is located, unless the main housefuses are blown out because of an overload, short circuit or the like,occurring in one of the appliances connected to the adapter.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a safetysocket adapter which is adapted to overcome such disadvantages anddifliculties.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a socket adapterwhich will give protection to electric appliances connected theretoagainst damage from disturbances in the main electric circuit.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric socketadapter of the character referred to, which is adapted to protect themain house fuses from being blown out in case of an overload or shortcircuit in an appliance connected to such socket adapter.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a socket adapterof this character having a plurality of sockets for plugging in theconnector plugs of appliances, and having a receptacle for receiving aconventional fuse plug to complete the circuit within the socket adapterto the connector plugs of the appliances.

The above and other objects, apparent from the drawing and followingdescription, may be attained, the above described difficulties overcomeand the advantages and results obtained, by the apparatus, construction,arrangement and combinations, subcombinations and parts which comprisethe present invention, a preferred embodiment of which, illustrative ofthe best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying theprinciple, being set forth in detail in the following description andillustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In general terms, the invention may be briefly described as an electricsocket adapter comprising an insulation housing formed of two similarhalves connected together by a rivet or the like, and enclosing spacedpairs of metal contacts providing sockets for receiving the contact pinsof connector plugs on the feed wires or cords of electrical appliances.

A receptacle for a conventional screw-type fuse plug is also locatedwithin the adapter housing. This receptacle is in the form of ascrew-threaded metal tube for receiving the threaded metal shell of aconventional fuse plug.

One set of said metal contacts is electrically connected to saidscrew-threaded metal tube, and the other set of said metal contacts iselectrically connected to contact post extending through one end of thehousing for insertion into a wall socket.

A second contact post is provided with a contact within the housing forcontact with the usual contact on the inner end of the conventionalscrew-type fuse plug.

Patented Oct. 9, 1962 With a fuse plug located in the receptacletherefor, when the connector plug of an electrical appliance is pluggedinto either socket of the adapter, the circuit will be completed to theappliance through the fuse plug.

Should there be an overload, or short circuit in the appliance, the fuseplug in the adapter will be blown out, breaking the circuit to theappliance and preventing danger of fire. It should be understood thatthe fuse plug in the adapter should be of lower amperage than the mainhouse fuses, so as to protect them against blowing out.

Having thus briefly described the invention, reference is now made tothe accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment of theinvention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric socket adapter embodying theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation of the improved socket adapter withone-half of the insulation housing removed;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4, FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5, FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a transverse section on the line 66, FIG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the drawing in which similar numerals refer to similarparts throughout, the improved electric socket adapter includes ahousing formed of two similar halves indicated generally at 11 formed ofsuitable insulation material such as Bakelite joined together at thelongitudinal median line as by a rivet 2.

Each of the housing members 1 is of generally semitubular form having anopen outer end 3 and an inner end closed by a semi-circular wall 4. Athreaded tubular metal fuse receptacle 5 is located within the outer endportion of the housing and is shown as having the flared outer end 6received in the annular groove 7 within the insulation housing.

Transversely disposed mating solid portions are formed in the housingmembers 1-1, and provided with aligned central openings through whichthe rivet 2 is located.

Transverse openings 12 and 12a are located in opposite sides of saidsolid portions and terminate in reduced sockets open through the outersides of the housing members, as best shown in FIG. 5.

A leg 8 depends from the inner end of the tubular receptacle 5 and ametal strip 9 of copper, brass or other suitable flexible conductormetal, is attached thereto as at it). Opposite ends of the strip 9 arebent back as at 11, forming terminal contacts which are located throughthe openings 12 in the housing.

Diametrically opposite to the conductor strip 9, with terminal contacts1t} thereon, is a similar conductor strip 9:; with terminal contacts 11aat the ends thereof, located through transverse openings 12a in thehousing.

The spaced terminal contacts H. and Ila at each side of the housing thusprovide sockets for insertion of the usual contact pins upon theconventional connector plug attached to the feed wires or cord of anelectrical appliance.

A conductor leg 13 is connected to the conductor strip 9a, as indicatedat 16a, and is provided with an offset portion 14 terminating in thecontact post 15, located through a slot 16 in the corresponding endclosure 4 of the housing.

A similar contact post 17 is located through the slot 16a in the otherend closure 4 of the housing. An offset leg 18 is formed upon orconnected to the contact post 17 and terminates within the housing inthe terminal contact 19 located centrally adjacent the inner end of thethreaded tubular receptacle 5.

A conventional screw-type fuse plug 20 is adapted to be received withinthe fuse receptacle 5, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. For this purpose,the usual threaded metal shell 21 of the fuse plug is screwed into thethreaded tubular fuse receptacle 5, and the conventional center contact22 of the fuse plug contacts the terminal contact 19, which is connectedby the leg 18 to the contact post 17.

With a fuse plug located in the fuse receptacle of the socket adapter,the contact posts 15 and 17 of the socket adapter are inserted into aconventional wall socket. When the contact pins of a conventionalconnector plug, on an electrical appliance, are inserted into either ofthe sockets 1212u on either side of the adapter, the circuit is thencompleted through the electrical appliance and through the fuse plug 24}in the adapter.

It will be seen that the circuit Will be completed from one side of themain electric line through the contact post 15, leg 13 and contacts 11a,through the electrical appliance to the contacts 11, leg 8, threadedtubular fuse receptacle 5, through the fuse plug from the threaded shell21 to the center contact 22, then through the contact 19, leg 18 thereofand contact post 17 to the other side of the line.

In the event of an overload, short circuit or the like, the fuse plug 20will be blown out, thus breaking the circuit to the electricalappliance, so that no damage may be caused. Since the fuse plug 20should he of lower amperage than the fuse in the main house line, thefuse plug 20 will blow out before the fuse in the main house line, thusprotecting the same.

It is customary practice to provide 15 ampere fuses in the main houseline. For the purpose of the invention the fuse plug 20 should be a 10ampere fuse or in some cases even a ampere fuse will serve.

From the above it will be obvious that the improved socket adapter willgive protection to electrical appliances connected thereto againstdamage from disturbances in the main electric line and which willprotect the main house fuse from being blown out in the case of anoverload or short circuit in an appliance connected to the socketadapter.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because suchwords are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to bebroadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved constrution illustrated anddescribed herein are by Way of eX- ample, and the scope of the presentinvention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, theoperation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and theadvantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and usefulconstruction, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious tothose skilled in the art, are set forth in the appende claim.

I claim:

An electric socket adapter comprising a similar pair of elongatedsemi-circular mating housing members of insulation material disposed inconfronting abutting relation to form a cylindrical casing, asemi-circular wall on one of the ends of each housing member disposed inabutting relation to form a closed end for the casing, there being aslot in each semi-circular wall, the other ends of the housing membersbeing disposed in confronting relation to form a fuse-receiving socket,a threaded metal shell fitted in the socket and adapted to receive afuse, said housing members having aligned solid portions located betweensaid closed end and said fuse-receiving socket and disposed transversethereto, said solid portions having aligned central openings, a rivetlocated through said openings and securing said housing memberstogether, there being aligned transverse openings in opposite sides ofsaid solid portions and terminating in reduced sockets opening throughthe outer sides of said housing members for receiving the contact pinsof connectors plugs of electrical appliances, spaced conductor membersdisposed within said aligned transverse openings and having their endsbent backwardly and forming contacts located Within said reducedsockets, means connecting one of said conductor members to said threadedmetal shell, a contact post located through one of said slots and havingan offset leg connected to the other of said conductor members, a secondcontact post parallel to and spaced from the first contact post andlocated through the other slot, and a terminal contact having an offsetleg connected to said second-named contact post and adapted to contactthe central contact of a fuse located in said threaded metal shell,there being aligned grooves in the mating faces of said aligned solidportions, the offset leg connected to said second-named contact postbeing located through said aligned grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,950,181 Kelly et al. Mar. 6, 1934 1,990,176 Fried Feb. 5, 19352,039,336 Niesen May 5, 1936 2,661,413 Doss Dec. 1, 1953 2,701,349Fisher Feb. 1, 1955

